


she never knew you couldn't dance

by bucktrungle



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: Drama, M/M, Unrequited Love, and I cannot emphasise this enough, hector has some Bad Thoughts, please do not read this unless you enjoy suffering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucktrungle/pseuds/bucktrungle
Summary: It’s Eliwood’s wedding day and Hector should be happy for him.
Relationships: Eliwood/Hector (Fire Emblem), Eliwood/Hector (unrequited), Eliwood/Ninian (background)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	she never knew you couldn't dance

The whole room is spinning. Women in large poofy dresses and tall men in fancy white suits, all twirling around rhythmically to bombastic orchestra music that he swears will blow his eardrums out any minute now. A handful of older women overlook the whole spectacle as they sip wine at the front of the massive, over-decorated ballroom.

And Hector. Hidden in the corner, tucked away behind a standing table with a large white ribbon tied around it, a showy bouquet of red and white roses on top of it, together with a collection of empty champagne glasses. The two giant curtains on each side of him perfectly camouflage his person from most angles, or so he hopes.

He feels beyond nauseous—it’s as if he’s on a rocking ship in the midst of a heavy storm at sea. 

The ceremony had been bad enough, but at least he had been able to stomach that by focussing on one spot in the room and drowning out the seemingly endless ramblings of the priest until they were nothing but white noise in the back of his head.

But _this_? This is plain unendurable, even for him. The constant movement in the room makes it too hard for him to pretend that this isn’t real—that this isn’t Eliwood’s wedding he’s at. The same Eliwood that he grew up with, the one he went to war with, the one whom he had gladly taken on a _death curse_ for, the one and only person he had devoted _his life_ to up until this point— _that_ Eliwood is now getting _married_.

Hector instinctively presses his right hand on his stomach, hoping it will reduce his urge to vomit by even a small margin. He feels the fabric of his gloves stick to the damp skin underneath it, and wriggles his fingers in discomfort.

_Damn it all._ It’s Eliwood’s big day for heaven’s sake—why couldn’t he just be _happy_ for his friend? At the very least fake a smile and play along to fit in with the rest of the guests? He wants to, so badly. But he can’t even do that much for Eliwood. And the worst part about it was that he was completely powerless to control it, no matter _how_ much he wishes to support his friend. What _he_ wants is irrelevant—he has no say in this. The truth is that Eliwood loves Ninian, end of story. Yet, despite knowing this better than probably anyone else at this wedding, Hector’s whole being simply couldn’t accept it.

Hector shuts his eyes in an attempt to settle his dizziness and presses his left hand against his head, although the continuous thumping of the bass instruments in the background didn’t make it an easy feat.

He’s been using all his power to distract himself from them, but ever since first hearing about Eliwood’s engagement, Hector would have these thoughts. Pathetic, selfish thoughts. He had wished that the war had never ended, so he could be by Eliwood’s side every day once more. And if that wasn’t an option, he’d even wished for a _new_ war would start. Hell, he damn well _knew_ a new war would have to start at one point or another, given the curse that damned axe had left him with. And a twisted part of him embraced it—in fact it _craved_ war, if only it meant to join forces with Eliwood once more. He would fantasise about those days, about the terrifying power the two of them would wield as a duo—completely fearless, they’d be.

His thoughts had gotten so bad that they weren’t even about Eliwood anymore—they were about _him_ and his little power trip. And those were hardly the _worst_ thoughts he had had.

The worst was when he thought about Eliwood’s bride, Ninian. He hadn’t cared for nor held anything against the girl, but there was one specific detail about her that had stuck with him from the moment he had learned about it. Ninian’s species has a short lifespan in this realm, hence why Eliwood and her were so quick to marry. She won’t live very long. This won’t _last_ very long. It kept repeating in Hector’s head. She won’t live very long, so that means he’ll just have to endure until—

“ _There_ you are, you big oaf!” Hector overhears a female voice shout in the distance, and it bursts his bubble of dark thoughts. He can’t decide whether that makes her timing impeccable or horrendous.

Before him, a familiar face appears. A tall, slender young woman, dolled up in a huge, silky blue dress that fits her about as well as Hector fits in at this wedding. 

“Where have you _been_? You disappeared straight after the ceremony,” she immediately start her interrogation. She folds her arms before continuing. “Wait, are you hiding?” she adds suspiciously, before Hector can even answer her previous question.

And he apparently didn’t even _need_ to answer, as she has already accepted the unspoken answer herself after one look at his face. She sighs disappointedly and mumbles something undoubtedly negative under her breath, in what Hector can only assume to be her native tongue.

“This is about Eliwood, isn’t it?” It’s more of a statement than a question really, and her tone is now calm and serious to match.

_Is it ever not?_ He thinks it to himself, but would rather be caught dead before saying something like that out loud. Especially not in front of _her_. 

____

____

__Hector purposefully avoids eye contact with the young Sacaen woman eyeing him down, instead keeping his gaze fixed on the light reflecting off the empty glasses before him, because it’s Lyn and if there’s one thing he knows about her it’s that she can read his thoughts through his eyes._ _

__Lyn sighs once more, but this time it doesn’t sound disappointed or angry. It’s much shorter and sympathetic, and Hector decides that he finds that worse than being scolded._ _

__Without wasting any more time on words, the green-haired girl grabs her dress—a slightly irritated expression forming on her face as its fabric keeps slipping through her gloved fingers—and wriggles her way over to Hector’s now not-so-safe spot._ _

__Upon coming in closer vicinity, Lyn’s expression changes to one of concern as her emerald green eyes observe Hector’s face._ _

“You look awful—are you feeling alright?” she suddenly asks, and Hector swears he couldn’t follow this woman’s pace if he _tried_. 

____

____

__“Just perfect,” Hector answers sarcastically._ _

__Lyn, clearly unsatisfied with that answer, simply puts her hand to his forehead. Her faces makes a puzzled expression, and she then moves her hand away from his forehead, instead placing it on his own hand._ _

__“Hector, tell me what’s wrong.” Her voice is now soft and sad, and her brow is frowned in concern. Hector hates it._ _

__“I should be happy,” he blurts out matter-of-factly, and regrets it immediately. Somehow, that cursed woman always managed to tear down his walls without even trying. Next to his late brother and Eliwood, Hector couldn’t think of anyone else that could manage that feat._ _

__The two of them fall quiet as they stand next to each other, facing forward. The loud orchestra music and its jovial dancers carry on all the same._ _

__“You never told him, did you?” Lyn eventually says, breaking the silence._ _

__Those are the words he didn’t want to hear, yet knew he was going to have to face at some point or another. They hit like a brick to the head._ _

__“Well… Clearly too late now,” Hector replies sheepishly, nodding his head towards the spectacle taking place before them._ _

__“You’re telling me.”_ _

A brief silence falls between them once more, until Lyn suddenly decides she’s had enough of this dead-end conversation. “Gods, would it hurt you two to just _talk_ for once?” she exclaims with a frustrated sigh, and out of nowhere pulls Hector out of his hiding spot with a force that he admittedly did not expect from her in her current getup. 

__Before he is even aware of it, Lyn has taken hold of his other hand as well, and has led him onto the dancefloor._ _

__“Bear with me. This is for your own good,” she hisses through clenched teeth near his left ear._ _

__The two of them find themselves amongst the dancing masses, and immediately stick out like a sore thumb between the hordes of elegant noble couples. With the Sacaen girl unceremoniously leading the dance—though Hector could hardly call it that—with a speed that is unconventional to say the least, Hector notices the occasional questioning glance directed towards them._ _

__After twirling around for longer than he would ever like, Hector’s head has started spinning again, and much worse than before, but he doesn’t have the energy to resist Lyn. Despite their ungodly display of “dance”, her face seems hyper-focused, sweat dripping down her chin. Hector closes his eyes and trusts that she knows what she’s doing._ _

__As the two clumsily waltz their way to the centre of the room, the bridal couple comes into view and Hector feels his heart sink all the way down to his feet, like an anchor in still waters._ _

Perfect wouldn’t even _begin_ to describe the pair—they looked like they stepped straight out of the final page of a fairy tale, like two porcelain dolls torn from a music box, painted with the same acrylic and crafted in the same mould. Every single thing about them was complimentary—his fiery red hair, her crimson eyes, his bright blue suit, her icy blue hair, his cream white cape, her pristine white dress. Eliwood’s gaze on her is absolutely fixed—there is nothing in the world that could sway it, Hector is sure. 

It is in that moment that Hector realises it. These two _belong_ together. 

He can feel something pierce his heart—something that he imagines feels similar to being struck by an assassin’s poisoned blade. 

__And then, against all odds, their eyes meet. Very briefly, but very certainly. Azure eyes lock with his own and in that sudden moment, nothing matters, the porcelain bride and all the other dancers crumble to pieces, the whole room falls apart like a house of cards, and Hector forgets how to breathe._ _

__Only when he sees Eliwood’s mouth form the syllables of his name, does Hector fully return to earth. The sound barely carries over the loud fanfare, but he hears it clearly, regardless._ _

__At the sight of his two friends, Eliwood leans in to his bride, whispers something in her ear, and gracefully ends the dance moments after, though Hector’s eyes don’t miss how his hand clings to hers until the very last touch, lingering in the moment for as long as possible. Eventually, their hands slide apart as Eliwood turns his attention towards Lyn and Hector. Hector can’t help but feel bad for ruining Eliwood’s moment._ _

__Following the lead of the bridal pair, the music dies down and switches to a softer tune._ _

__“Hector, I’m so glad to see you!” Eliwood exclaims with a bright smile on his face once he has moved in closer, and Hector is certain that it’s not because he’s necessarily glad to see him—more likely, Eliwood is still euphoric from the time spent with his bride._ _

__Despite all the mixed emotions battling within him, Hector ignores his inner feelings and beams a big smile right back at his best friend. “Of course I’m here, wouldn’t miss it for the world!” He almost shouts it, attempting to match Eliwood’s excitement in tone._ _

__Without any form of announcement Lyn decides to butt in. “Eliwood, Hector here would like a private word with you,” she boldly exclaims, smacking Hector on the back._ _

__“Uhhh,” is all Hector manages to let out, his mind going blank and his heart racing wildly._ _

__Eliwood snickers at the typical interaction, and the way his nose wrinkles up is so charming that Hector almost forgets Lyn’s suggestion just now._ _

__Before Hector can ponder on it any further, Eliwood grabs his hands and leads him away. “Alright, follow my lead then!” Eliwood says vibrantly and Hector can barely register any of this happening._ _

__As the two of them worm their way through the crowd of unassuming visitors, Hector looks at the young man leading the way before him and all of a sudden they’re not even in the massive ballroom anymore—it’s a narrow castle hallway and they’re both just boys and Eliwood is sneaking him off to go spar on the knights' training grounds. Hector feels his heart swell up at the nostalgic feeling._ _

__Eliwood leads him beyond two curtains off the side, and pushes them aside to reveal a balcony._ _

__“You’re gonna love this,” Eliwood says as he pulls him onto the balcony._ _

_Already am_ , Hector thinks. 

__The other side reveals a perfect view of the blue rivers and green hills that characterise the Pheraen landscape, and they’re accentuated by a rare golden sunset._ _

But that’s not what Hector sees—all _he_ sees is the light colouring Eliwood’s red locks gold, how it outlines his long eyelashes, the way it illuminates his pale skin, the light summer freckles on his face that look like sparks dancing off a bonfire, and the soft, slight glimmer on his lower lip.

“How’s the view?” Eliwood inquires, extending his arms towards the scene before them while looking back at Hector.

“Stunning,” Hector answers without hesitation, even though he’s well aware they’re not talking about the same view.

“Well then, looks like I still got it,” Eliwood says proudly.

Hector freezes in shock for a second, wondering if his previous statement somehow revealed his true feelings, but Eliwood continues. “Turns out that it’s really useful to reserve a little place to escape to on a hectic day like this. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it looks like paradise, either.” Eliwood grins at him.

Hector breathes out sharply in relief. “I’ll bet.”

A brief and comfortable silence settles between the two of them, as Eliwood leans on the edge of the balcony with his eyes closed, allowing his fair skin to absorb the last rays of sunlight. Hector finds himself indulging in the moment for as long as it lasts.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Eliwood suddenly asks, catching Hector off-guard. In the short moment of bliss, he’d forgotten that Lyn had sent him here with a purpose.

That must be Eliwood’s gentle reminder that he’s on a pretty tight schedule for today, and Hector pressures himself to come up with something—anything to ask him. 

“Oh, I—uhhh.“ _Come on, anything at all!_

“I was just wondering how you’re feeling today?” Hector clenches his fists, digging his nails into his palms. It came out so laughably unconfident, that surely Eliwood would notice. He’d really like to punch himself in the gut right about now.

Eliwood simply starts laughing, covering his mouth with this hand to subdue the sound.

“ _What?!_ ” Hector can’t help but exclaim, unable to hide his irritation.

“You’re beet red—what’s this about’?” Eliwood says in-between his chuckles, and Hector is conflicted at his mocking tone. “All those years of your brutish behaviour and _now_ you decide to go soft on me?” he teases.

All Hector can let out is a disgruntled noise, which only encourages Eliwood’s laughing fit—the red-headed lord elbows him, and at that gesture Hector, too, finally loses his composure. Eliwood’s laughter has Hector at his complete mercy—it’s contagious, enchanting even, and it’s still the same laugh as the one he would hear when he’d make weird faces at him during lectures.

The two of them share a moment in which they simply laugh with each other.

“In my defence,” Hector starts after the moment has blown over, “the marquess of Pherae _is_ quiet hard to get a hold off these days, so I figured I’d reserve a meeting just to ask,” he shrugs.

“Very well then, as per your request, I will answer your question, Marquess Ostia,” Eliwood continues in his teasing tone, before turning towards the sunset once more.

“Today I’m marrying the love of my life, and I’ve never felt more wonderful. It's like a dream come true,” Eliwood says, and it’s almost as if he announces it towards his homeland before him, rather than towards the person who asked him.

The lightened mood had caught Hector off-guard, but now he can feel a pit form in his stomach. Eliwood said those words with his back turned towards him. He couldn’t _see_ Eliwood’s smile as he spoke them, but he _felt_ that it was there. From the genuine tone in his voice, he could tell he really meant it.

And all of sudden, everything makes sense. This wasn’t the Eliwood that Hector had been clinging on to, at all. This was the Eliwood who had moved past all that. This Eliwood was a man, a marquess, a lover, and now a husband. Proud and fearless, ready to face the future and any hardships that it may carry. Unlike Hector himself, who is nothing but a foolish boy still living in days gone by.

Hector feels something sting behind his eyes, but at the same time feels a weight fall off his shoulders. He does not reply to his friend’s answer, even though he was the one that had asked for it.

“Well, I hope that answer satisfies you.” Eliwood stretches his arms before gesturing towards the ballroom. “It’s about time I head back—I can’t keep my bride waiting, now can I?” he says brightly, smiling at him. That smile that keeps reminding him.

_Is this it?_

Eliwood looks at Hector with a somewhat curious expression, as if awaiting a response. But after not receiving one, he simply walks right past him without saying another word. The sound of his every footstep against the marble floor echoes in Hector’s head.

_This is it._

“Eliwood.” Hector says it sternly.

Eliwood stops in his tracks and turns around to face his friend one last time, his expression solemn and his air so serene that Hector could mistake him for a work of art.

_I love you._

“I wish you the best.” It’s all he can say, and he hopes that somehow, someday, its true meaning reaches the man before him—the one person he loves more than anything in the world.

“Likewise, old friend,” Eliwood says as he nods at him, a faint smile on his face. He bows towards his old companion, and with the turn of his white cape, Eliwood walks back into the ballroom, and out of Hector’s life.

**Author's Note:**

> I really just wrote fuckin, elihec ntr hUH
> 
> this is so sad, but for what it’s worth, I like to think that eliwood’s perspective is much different than hector assumes and they end up together sometime after their wives pass anyway. like those two could ever stay apart for that long, pfff


End file.
